Are pneumatic tools holding your assembly back? That’s how one of our automotive customers felt, so they made the switch. Discover the difference smart electric tools can make in your assembly.
It is no longer a question of if you should adopt sustainable practices, but rather, how. Not only is incorporating sustainable practices into production crucial for safeguarding our planet’s future, but it also benefits your bottom line. From improved operational efficiency to increased profitability through lowered resource and production costs, sustainable products and practices are the difference between a successful facility and falling behind your competitors.
When taking the first step towards sustainable manufacturing, there are several avenues you may consider. For example, some companies choose to use recycled materials over virgin materials to make new products; many manufacturers are also sourcing renewable energy to reduce emissions. Did you know the tools you use can affect the sustainability of your production? That’s right! Increasingly, manufacturers are looking at their assembly tools and solutions to find more environmentally friendly practices.
Manufacturers are significantly reducing energy use and cleaning up their production floor by replacing pneumatic-driven tools with smart electric tools. Our customer examined their assembly and challenged themselves to do just that. Read on to discover more about this success story and how our experts helped.
The transition toward sustainable assembly
A common misconception about sustainability practices is that they are costly and time-consuming, but they don’t have to be. Modern assembly tools and solutions are designed to work with you, improving productivity and quality while supporting sustainability efforts.
Pneumatic assembly tools have been used for over 100 years, and they have done a good job, but manufacturers are quickly realizing superior advantages with newer technology. This was the case with our customer. In pursuit of meeting their sustainability goals, they decided to remove pneumatic tools from their shop floor and replace them with more energy-efficient tooling.
Insert Atlas Copco’s smart assembly solutions
When our customer decided to phase out their pneumatic tools, they knew they wanted to prioritize reliable and sustainable tooling. With this in mind, our experts introduced them to our TBPs paired with our Power Focus 8 (PF8) controllers. This proved to be the winning tool solution for several reasons.
What makes this a great pairing for our customer:
- Minimize the total number of tools and program unique tightening strategies for each joint
- Connect multiple smart tools with 1 PF8 controllers (up to 20 tools)
- OK/NOK feedback sent and collected with VIN
- Power supply – eliminates battery swapping and reduces weight
- Greater accuracy and improved quality
Atlas Copco’s TBP: Unlocking your full potential
The benefits don’t end there. Atlas Copco’s TBP is not your typical low-reaction pistol tool. With its advanced features, such as the DuraPulse technology, TBPs will allow for longer service intervals than traditional pulse tools. Furthermore, the tool has a very smart service alarm that ensures that it always performs well in production. This means that with the TBP, you will achieve a lower total cost of ownership due to less time and money spent on maintenance, less downtime in production, and a reduced need for spares and backups. To discover more about Atlas Copco’s TBP offering, visit our TBP page for more information.
Atlas Copco’s Power Focus 8: Smart, sustainable manufacturing
Another great asset to any manufacturing facility is the Power Focus 8. It connects a wide range of tools with varying tightening settings simultaneously. Since our customer would be connecting between four and six TBPs per PF8 controller, they will save on the hardware costs, allowing them to do more with less, one of the key cornerstones of sustainable manufacturing.
Furthermore, the Power Focus 8 is fundamentally designed to be more environmentally friendly. Its capacity for easy disassembly and recycling, along with significant lifetime CO2e emissions savings, highlights Atlas Copco’s commitment to reducing waste and supporting a circular economy. Compared to the Power Focus 6000, it offers a 21% (229 kgCO2e) lifetime CO2e emissions reduction and a 55% (1015 kgCO2e) lifetime CO2e emissions reduction compared to the Power Focus 4000.
As our next-generation advanced controller platform, the PF8 can handle even the most challenging tightening operations with precise results you can trust. Are you on your journey to improve connectivity? Discover more about this impressive tightening controller here.
Why choose Atlas Copco?
Atlas Copco is proud to design assembly tools and solutions for various industrial applications. As innovators, we aim to develop solutions that improve efficiency, quality, safety, speed, ergonomics, and environmental performance.
In this case, we successfully assisted our customer in replacing their pneumatic tools, achieving greater sustainability in manufacturing, and saving $24,253 annually in costs related to electricity and carbon pricing! With the TBP and PF8 integrated into their assembly, they will continue to enhance energy efficiency by eliminating a substantial 23 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly while using more stable tooling solutions, benefiting the entire facility, their customers, and the planet. Furthermore, they reduced their annual electricity consumption by 137,124 kWh as a result of this switch.
Related: Explore Atlas Copco’s commitment to sustainability initiatives and assess your CO2 impact now.
Our customer improved their quality with the TBP due to having a more reliable power source and receiving OK/NOK feedback from the tool. This will boost their profitability and assist them in achieving their environmental goals by cutting down rework time.
Are you ready to adopt more sustainable practices in your facility? Discover how Atlas Copco is dedicated to sustainability, and how you can transform your industry for a more sustainable future. Use our CO2 calculator to uncover your environmental impact! Contact the experts at Atlas Copco today to learn how you can contribute to the shift toward a low-carbon society.
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